What if? Civil War
by Cat 2
Summary: What if it was all a dream...? I Own nothing. AU Comicverse. Steve/Tony
1. Chapter 1

Author's note: the inspiration for this story came quite a while ago from a story calle "Civil Bore" By WolverineKILLS. It's been removed, so I'll just say that the basic premise was that the civil war was a dream. As (and I freely admit it) I hate the Civil War-Secret Invasion story line, so I decided to remove them from the time line. Hope you like it. I do have a lot of stories on the go (25 or so the computer tells me), so I will try and update this regularly but make no promises.

If you don't like Steve/Tony pairing, please click back, now.

What if? Civil War.

The first thing he was aware of was the pain.

That wasn't surprising. Being hit by a technology enhanced human will do that to you.

Experience taught him to use the pain as his focal point, use it to return himself to consciousness.

Slowly other things began to piece through. The smell of disinfectant, soap, and rubbing alcohol, the electronic hums, beeps and clicks of machines. These sounds made sense to him; he was in an ICU, which was further confirmed by the IV needle in his wrist, the oxygen in his nose and the catheter.

He tried to open his eyes, but the effort nearly sent him spiralling back into darkness. What saved him was a damp cloth dabbing at his forehead.

He focused on that and his eyes opened. A flesh coloured blur hovered above him.

"Don't go out on us now, Tony"

He recognised the voice, but he couldn't believe it. She hated his guts.

"Steve'll kill me if you come around for a few seconds and he misses it."

Steve, that was impossible. Steve was dead.

He blinked and the flesh coloured blur sharpened to reveal Cat. Leaning against the wall, was James "Bucky" Barnes, dressed in a SHIELD uniform, as was Cat.

This was seriously wrong. Cat had resigned her SHIELD Commission within a few months of the war, and James had never had one.

Cat was talking to James, but in Russian. She turned back and wacked Tony's hand, which was automatically picking at the IV needle.

"Don't do that! We've had enough problems with this hospital, without you been a difficult patient."

He nodded, and then stopped as it made the pain in his head hurt.

"I know it hurts, but just lie still huh? At least till we've got Hank in here."

A humming, an opera he was sure, announced the entrance of what at first glance appeared to be a huge Blue gorilla. This was Dr Henry "Hank" McCoy and if he was the attending physician, (and the note he could just make out on his chart suggested that he was) he could understand why they'd have had problems with the hospital.

"Hello Shell head." Hank was as usually infallible cheerful. "And how are we feeling?"

From somewhere a voice that sounded like his answered.

"I've got a head ache and I think I'm disorientated."

"Not surprising." Hank gazed gently down at him, as Cat got to her feet, and left with James.

* * *

Steve Rogers got out of the shower. He knew he'd needed one when Cat and James had turned up and all but ordered him out of the room. He'd recognised the determined expressions on their faces from the war, and knew resistance was futile.

They had brought a bag of clean clothes and had promised to get him if Tony regained consciousness. James had knocked on the door a couple of minutes ago to let him know that Tony was awake, but that Hank was with him.

He dried himself off and dressed. Cat had packed a pair of jeans and a USA Army T-Shirt that he usually wore to sleep in. He suspected that she had asked Sharon for help.

Despite been the one who wanted to take a break, Sharon hadn't handled it well, especially after Tony's accident.

However the only other clothes he had with him, he'd worn for nearly 4 days and were, he admitted to himself, pretty disgusting. He pulled on the shirt, as there was a knock on the door.

He pulled the door open to see Bucky standing there, his face grim.

"Everything O.k.?" he asked. Bucky nodded slightly.

"Hank wants to speak to you, before you seen Tony."  
"Why?"

Bucky had that slightly uncomfortably expression, that marked when he had bad news he didn't want to impart.

"Hank will explain." He said, avoiding Steve's eyes.

Cat was standing in the corridor, leaning against wall, next to Hank whose expression was grim.

Steve felt a stab of fear hit his stomach.

"Tony will be O.K. won't he?"

"He's going to fine." Cat said reassuringly.

"But," hank continued, "There is a problem."

He sighed. "Tony's mind while in the coma seems to have created a... a world."

Steve nodded. Hank had mentioned that the increased brain activity indicated that Tony was dreaming, and had warned them that it might seem more real than their world.

"What's wrong with that?" he asked.

"In Tony's World," Cat interrupted. "You're dead."

Steve blinked. No matter how bad the situation was, he couldn't imagine Tony ever wanting him dead.

"I highly doubt," Cat said, though he knew telepathy was not among her mutant powers. "That he wants you dead. He may have subconsciously remembered what happened, and been afraid he hurt you."

Steve nodded.

"We oblivious have to tell Tony you're alive." Cat continued.

"Yeah." Bucky agreed. "Question is, how much of the rest of it do we tell him?"

TBC


	2. Chapter 2

Thanks to everyone for their support. this is a short chapter, but I hope you like it.

Chapter 2

Steve gazed around the small office in a state of shock.

The last time he had seen it, boxes and files on various heroes and villains hap hazard littered every surface, a fact that he was sure was revenge on Maria Hill's part, for supporting Fury's reinstatement as SHIELD Commander.

Fury had tried to help the situation, by loaning out Cat and Bucky, but it had seemed like an impossible task.

Now the walls were lined with filing cabinets, whose drawers were neatly organised. The boxes had all disappeared, and balanced on the sleek mahogany imitation desk was a sleek computer.

"A gift from Stark Industries." Cat said, replacing a file in the correct drawer.

Steve nodded dumbly. He knew he shouldn't be surprised, knew that during the war and afterwards Cat had gone undercover as a sectary to some quite important people, so she had to good, but this seemed like miracle.

"How did you manage it?" He asked, glancing around the room. "Working around the clock?"

The couch pushed up against one wall shows distinct signs of having been slept on frequently.

"No." Cat said, shutting the drawer as Bucky added,

"We had help."

"From who?" Steve asked. Cat shrugged.

"Everyone pretty much. Sharon,"  
"did you check it?" Steve asked.

Cat ignored him.

"Sam, Carol, Luke and Jessica really helped out, so did Namor, he's surprisingly good with computers. Natasha really pitched in."

"Felt like an ex's convention at point." Bucky observed.

"Rhodey and Pepper spent every spare hour they had it felt like here. As did Logan, Peter," Cat continued as though she hadn't heard him. "Pym did as well; think he's trying to avoid Janet. Reed offered to help, but with his firewalls, we had to refuse. Hawkeye tried to help as well, but with only one hand in action..." she trailed off and looked at Steve.

"We can explain the system tomorrow." She said, firmly. "Go and get some rest."

Steve shook his head.

"I'm not tired."

"And you're a lousy liar." Bucky had come up to stand beside Cat, his hand resting on the small of her back, the most publicly imitate they ever got.

"I don't," he began, but the effect was ruined with a huge yawn. Cat nodded triumphantly.

"Choice is your room or the couch, which from experience isn't all that comfortable."

"So I was right." Steve began, but Bucky shook his head.

"Sitwell and a couple of other agents were down for the week. We gave up our beds."

"Though we got some fun out of it." Cat observed, getting pleasure out of turning both men red. She gave Steve a quick shove. "Bed. Now."

"I can't." Steve shook his head. "I can't. Every time I close my eyes, I see..."  
Cat sighed.

"You did what you had to do, Steve. Innocent people would have been hurt if you haven't."  
"Stark'll be fine." Bucky added. "And he won't remember it."

"How can you be so sure?"

"You read the report right?" Cat demanded. Steve nodded.

"Trust me. With the stuff that was in his system, Wolverine and I would be hard pressed to remember what happened!"

Bucky shoved, this time with a little more force.

"Go and get some rest Huh? Pepper said she'd call as soon as she knew anything."

* * *

Pepper Potts knew how bad she'd looked when she arrived at the hospital, by the expression on the faces of Cat and James as they bundled Steve Rogers out of the hospital.

A quick visit to the Ladies room had confirmed her opinions. She had applied make up and smoothed her hair.

Now after ten minutes with Tony the effect was ruined. Her mascara was running down her cheeks, and her hair looked like it had been caught in a force 8 gale.

Tony had eventually accepted that his "memories" of the last few years were a lie. Or to be more precise, a dream. But it hadn't been easy.

She examined herself in the mirror, and shivered at the thought of Tony's world.

Captain America Dead, Peter unmasking after everything he'd done to protect his identity, Super villains working for the government, Happy dead and, possibly the scariest thought, Tony as Head of SHIELD.

She couldn't understand why he'd fought her so hard over it been real.

Hank had warned her that they were only beginning here.

Tony's muscles were weak from lack of use; they had no idea what, if any damage had been done by what happened, that was ignoring the mental trauma.

She sighed, and dried her face.

She had a press conference in an hour.

* * *

When Steve woke up, it was dark outside.

He wandered down the stairs, to the kitchen area of the Avenger's house.

Jarvis and Aunt May were preparing food in the kitchen, while the rest sat around, watching.

Cat nodded acknowledging his presence and Bucky slid a bottle of Cola down the table.

"Stane." Steve said, sinking in his allotted chair.

"Excuse me?"

Carol looked up from behind her book.

"Osborne Stane, guy who tried to take over Tony's company. Sent him to alcoholism for the first time."

"Tony mentioned him. Asked about him."  
"he also asked if Bucky and I were O.k., and why we were wearing SHIELD Uniforms." Cat pointed out.

"Just wondering why he mentioned him."

Cat shrugged. "Stane's been a major fact in Tony's life. Bearing in mind that he was..." she trailed off.

"Not feeling so well." Luke Cage suggested.

"At the time. Perhaps he blamed him."  
"But Stane's been dead for years."  
"Like that'll last." Cat observed

tbc


	3. Chapter 3

I own nothing. Nice reviews make me update quicker.

Chapter 3

The events that conspired to make Tony's homecoming a disaster, where no body's fault.

Bucky had to be in court, to testify against Crossskull, but Cat had said that she come early to deal with the paperwork from the act.

However none of them had realised that there was a killer flu going around SHIELD. And even if they had, they would have thought Cat was immune. Unfortunately they were wrong.

"I'm really sorry." Cat croaked. "But..."  
"Don't worry." Steve said, sighing. "I can get Sam or Sharon to cover."

Cat's snort was spoilt by the snort sprayed out of her nose.

"Sharon's stuck up here too. Fury's placed the whole Hellicarrier in isolation until he gets to the bottom of this."

"Right," Steve sighed. It would have to be Sam. But besides objecting morally even louder than Cat on the subject, Sam had little or no training in the use of the system.

"I could ask Gyrich." Cat suggested, tentatively. "He's a pain in the neck, but he understands the sys-"  
"no." Steve interrupted, a little too quickly. "Tony's coming home today."  
"That's why I'm offering." Cat said, exasperatedly.

Steve shook his head.

"We'll manage. Green is for aliens, yellow for mutants, blue for technology, red for magic, and orange for other."  
Cat nodded. She looked so miserable that Steve felt obligated to try and cheer her up.

"Just remember coughs and sneezes spread diseases,"  
"and Hitler's empires with eases." Cat laughed, which descended into a coughing fit. She hung up.

* * *

Crystal had left before dawn. She left a note.

He's started drinking soon afterwards, or maybe he'd never stopped from the night before. He wasn't sure.

She'd taken Luna with her. He wasn't surprised.

He picked up the bottle.

Huh. Empty.

He staggered to his feet, and headed for the kitchen.

* * *

"You O.K.?" Rhodey asked for about the millionth time. He didn't seem comfortable in the car and kept fidgeting and glancing at Tony, as though expecting him to burst into flames or into tears, or something.

He nodded, still gazing out the window.

It was a lot to take in. Three years missing. Three years in a coma, after a car accident.

They hadn't said so, but the looks people had given, the tests Hank had run, told him he must have been drunk when it happened. Rhodey had told him that Steve had yanked him out of.

Suddenly he realised something.

"This isn't the way home."

Rhodey grinned.  
"Figured you'd want to go back to the Avenger's home."

"But," Tony protested, "That's in the heart of new York."

Rhodey shifted even more uncomfortably.

"Not anymore."

He sighed. "Don't know how much anyone told you, but last year, there was a disaster."  
"At Stamford." Tony supplied.

Rhodey grinned, properly for the first time.

"Yeah, they mentioned that happened in your world too. Guess you overheard the nurses talking about it and..."

He shook himself. "Anyway, after that there was an idea for a superhuman registration act. The Avengers-"  
"including you?" Tony asked,

"Including me." Rhodey confirmed. "Supported it and took on the administration of it. Got to hand it to Cap, he really knows what he's doing."  
"But Cap would never support an act like that." Tony protested. "He'd say it went against the rights our founding fathers fought for."

Rhodey suddenly became very interested in the view from the window as he muttered,

"Guess he had his reasons." He suddenly sat up straight. "We're here."

The huge mansion rose out of the midst of grounds, and was vaguely familiar.

"Isn't this the X men's base?"

"Used to be." Jim corrected him. "The school moved to San Francisco, got a new base there. Xavier donated use of it for the Avengers as the mansion was kinda wrecked."

Tony nodded. He remembered the mansion been wrecked and remembered what had happened after it. He withdrew into himself.

Rhodey sighed, evidently feeling guilty. He glanced out of the window, fighting the desire to ask Tony if he was alright.

The Front of the mansion was coming to view and he could see the welcoming committee.

Pepper was there, of course, wearing a new suit in honour of the occasion. Clint stood, despite the pain it caused him, without his stick and in uniform. Steve was standing near the back, his mask half on, half off. He remembered that Cat was off sick, despite this sounding like a contradiction in terms, and the Winter Soldier was in court, so Steve would be doing all the administration for the act on his own. Hank and Jan were standing there, or more accurately standing on Thor's shoulder, who stood next to the Beast.

Spiderman and Falcon were both out on patrol, so they were absent.

Jarvis stood, watching for the car, reminding Rhodey of a nervous mother waiting for the school bus.

Hank had spotted them and was signalling to the others. They were all waving.

Tony had spotted them and was starting, uncertainly, to wave back. Rhodey remembered when Clint returned to the mansion, fresh out of hospital and more vulnerable than he'd let any of them believe. It was virtually identical.

And the next bit that happened was identical too.

A grey blur, that was the only description for it, launched out of the mansion, and collided with the assembled Avengers.

As the chaos broke out, Jarvis stepped over and opened the door of the car.

"Mr. Stark." The voice was warm and welcoming. "Welcome home."

And it was good to be.

TBC


End file.
